According to new research from the University...

According to new research from the University of Cambridge in England, sheep are able to recognize human faces from photographs.

The farm animals, who are social and have large brains, were previously known to be able to recognize one another, as well as familiar humans. However, their ability to recognize human faces from photos alone is novel.

The recent study, the results of which were published in the journal Royal Society; Open Science, show the woolly creatures could be trained to recognize still images of human faces, including those of former President Barack Obama and actress Emma Watson.

Initially, the sheep were trained to approach certain images by being given food rewards. Later, they were able to recognize the images for which they had been rewarded. The sheep could even recognize images of faces shown at an angle, though their ability to do so declined by about 15 percent—the same rate at which a human’s ability to perform the same task declines,

“Anyone who has spent time working with sheep will know that they are intelligent and individual animals who are able to recognize their handlers.” said Professor Jenny Morton,　 who led the Cambridge study. “We’ve shown with our study that sheep have advanced face-recognition abilities, close to those of humans and monkeys.”

Recognizing faces is one of his most important social skills for human beings, and some disorders of the brain, including Huntington’s disease, affect this ability.

“Sheep are long-lived and have brains that are similar in size and complexity to those of some monkeys. That means they can be useful models to help us understand disorders of the brain, such as Huntington’s disease that develop over a long time and affect cognitive (认识的) abilities. Our study gives us another way to monitor how these abilities change.” Morton said.

1.According to the new research, what’s unusual about sheep?

A. They have large brains.

B. They can recognize their owners.

C. They can tell animals from humans.

D. They can recognize human faces from photographs.

2.How did the researchers train the sheep?

A. By giving food rewards.

B. By showing photos of famous people.

C. By guiding them to follow their handlers.

D. By showing photos of humans and monkeys by turns.

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Sheep have a higher face-recognition ability than monkeys.

B. The new discovery is of great benefit to the study of cognitive ability changes.

C. The sheep’s face-recognition ability may prevent some disorders of the brain.

D. The sheep’s face-recognition ability stays the same when shown photos at any angle.

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. A Wonderful Scientist

B. The Life of Sheep

C. A New Discovery about Sheep

D. How Sheep Recognize Each Other

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

According to new research from the University of Cambridge in England, sheep are able to recognize human faces from photographs.

The farm animals, who are social and have large brains, were previously known to be able to recognize one another, as well as familiar humans. However, their ability to recognize human faces from photos alone is novel.

The recent study, the results of which were published in the journal Royal Society: Open Science, show the woolly creatures could be trained to recognize still images of human faces, including those of former President Barack Obama and actress Emma Watson.

Initially, the sheep were trained to approach certain images by being given food rewards. Later, they were able to recognize the images for which they had been rewarded. The sheep could even recognize images of faces shown at an angle, though their ability to do so declined by about 15 percent — the same rate at which a human’s ability to perform the same task declines.

“Anyone who has spent time working with sheep will know that they are intelligent, individual animals who are able to recognize their handlers,” said Professor Jenny Morton, who led the Cambridge study. “We’ve shown with our study that sheep have advanced face-recognition abilities, comparable with those of humans and monkeys.”

Recognizing faces is one of the most important social skills for human beings, and some disorders of the brain, including Huntington’s disease, affect this ability.

“Sheep are long-lived and have brains that are similar in size and complexity to those of some monkeys. That means they can be useful models to help us understand disorders of the brain, such as Huntington’s disease, that develop over a long time and affect cognitive abilities. Our study gives us another way to monitor how these abilities change,” Morton said.

1.According to the new research, what’s unusual about sheep?

A. They have large brains.

B. They can recognize their owners.

C. They can tell animals from humans.

D. They can recognize human faces from photographs.

2.How did the researchers train the sheep?

A. By guiding them to follow their handlers.

B. By giving food rewards.

C. By showing photos of humans and monkeys by turns.

D. By showing photos of famous people.

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Sheep have a higher face-recognition ability than monkeys.

B. The sheep’s face-recognition ability stays the same when shown photos at any angle.

C. The new discovery is beneficial to the study of cognitive ability changes.

D. The sheep’s face-recognition ability may prevent some disorders of the brain.

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. A New discovery about Sheep.　　 B. How Sheep Recognize Each Other.

C. A Wonderful Scientist.　　 D. The Life of Sheep.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Researchers with the University of Cambridge say they have the first real evidence of a new state of matter, some 40 years after it was first theorized.

Known as “quantum spin liquid(量子旋转水)”, the matter state causes normally unbreakable electrons to break into pieces called “Majorana fermions.” These fermions are an important discovery. Physicists believe the material is vital to further develop quantum computing. Computers employing Majorana femuons would be able to carry out calculations beyond the scale of modern computers quickly, they say.

Quantum spin liquid explains some of the eccentric behaviors inside magnetic(磁性的) materials. In these materials, the electrons should behave like small bar magnets, all adjusting towards magnetic north when a material is cooled. But not all magnetic materials do this—if the material contains quantum spin liquid, the electrons don’t all line up and become involved.

“Until recently, we didn’t even know what the experimental fingerprints of a quantum spin liquid would look like,” researcher Dr.Dmitry Kovrizhin says. “That created a challenge for the researchers, so they decided to employ neutron scattering(神经扫描) techniques to look for evidence of break”. What they found surprised them. The features matched nearly exactly with quantum spin liquid models theorized by physicist Phil Anderson in 1973. The results of their breakthrough were then published in the scientific journal Nature Materials on Monday.

Don’t get too excited just yet on its applications, though. Kovirzhin’s work is only the beginning and as we’ve seen with quantum computing there is a lot of work to be done. But it’s still exciting regardless.

“It’s an important step for our understanding of quantum matter,” Kovrizhin says. “It’s fun to have another new quantum state that we’ve never seen before—it presents us with new possibilities to try new things.”

1.What can we learn about “Majorana fermion” according to Paragraph 2?

A. It is an important discovery 40 years ago.

B. It is a surprising theory raised by Phil Anderson.

C. It is a key piece in developing quantum computer.

D. It is an unbreakable electrons employing computer.

2.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “eccentric” in Paragraph 3?

A. Strange.　　 B. Complex.　　 C. Permanent.　　 D. Obvious.

3.How did the researchers make the breakthrough?

A. By adjusting magnetic materials.

B. By using neutron scattering techniques.

C. By repeating maths calculations.

D. By changing electronic structure.

4.What is the author’s tone about the future of quantum matter?

A. Negative.　　 B. Doubtful.　　 C. Indifferent.　　 D. Optimistic.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

A new study, a project of the researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, finds the fitness tracker probably does not help with weight loss.

The devices are designed to record your physical activity. They are usually worn around the wrist, where they measure a person’s heart rate. The research team looked at two groups of individuals. The first wore a fitness tracker and took part in health counseling (咨询) with experts to consider the best weight-loss plan. The researchers compared this group with people who only got health counseling.

The study found that those only speaking with the health experts lost nearly 6 kilograms, but those using a fitness tracker lost only 3.5 kilograms. John Jakicic, the lead researcher, questioned the use of electronic devices for weight control in place of “effective behavioral counseling for physical activity and diet. ”

The study involved 470 subjects aged between 18 and 35. Some of them were overweight, while others were considered obese (肥胖的). Over three fourths of the subjects were women. All the subjects were told to increase physical activity and start on a low-calorie diet. They had their weight measured once every six months. After six months, researchers divided the group into two parts: one continued with monthly counseling, while members of the other group were given a fitness tracker. Eighteen months later, both groups “showed significant improvements in fitness, physical activity, and diet,” with no major difference between groups. However, when it came to losing weight, the people who only spoke with experts lost nearly twice as much weight.

Jakicic said, “the study’s findings are important because effective long-term treatments are needed to address America’s obesity. ” More information is needed, he added, to learn how to best use these devices to change “physical activity and diet behaviors” in adults who want to lose weight.

1.All the subjects in the study were asked to ________.

A. start on a high-calorie diet　　 B. wear a fitness tracker

C. increase physical activities　　 D. record their heart rates

2.Why does Jakicic think the findings are important?

A. Wearing fitness trackers hardly helps people lose weight.

B. Physical activity and diet have no effect on weight loss.

C. Handling obesity requires effective long-term treatments.

D. There are great differences in fitness between both groups.

3.What can we infer about the study mentioned in the text?

A. The study went on for about two years.

B. More than 120 men took part in the study.

C. Health counseling helps lose almost 6 kilograms.

D. Wearing a fitness tracker is useful for keeping slim.

4.The purpose of the text is to ________.

A. describe how the researchers were conducting the study

B. indicate regular counseling for weight control is necessary

C. convince readers to wear fitness trackers for weight control

D. warn women are more likely to suffer from weight problems

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Monkeys prefer heavy metal to classical music, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin whose findings are published this week in Biology Letters.

Scientists played a selection of music to a group of South American cotton-top monkeys but the only sound that got a reaction were from the heavy metal band Metallica. They were seemingly disinterested in Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis and Bach, but after the beautiful sound of Master of Puppets by Metallica was played the monkeys calmed down.

"Monkeys interpret rising and falling sounds differently than humans. Oddly, their only response to several samples of human music was a calming response to the heavy-metal band Metallica," said Professor Charles Snowdon, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Rather than making them excited or aggressive, the heavy metal tracks had a comforting effect. Dr Snowdon, who teamed up with National Symphony Orchestra musican David Teie, also played the monkeys music composed specifically for them. Although they enjoyed Metallica, they were much more interested in these pieces.

A melody(乐曲) based on the short calls of scared monkeys led to anxiety levels rapidly growing, researchers found, while one based on long calls the creatures make when they are happy had a calming effect.

Frans B.M. de Waal, a professor of psychology at Emory University who studies animals, said the findings appear to say more about how monkeys respond to the sounds they make than they do about music or the evolution of music.

Dr Snowdon no longer has a monkey colony to use in his research, but he said his co-author David Teie is exploring the concept of music for cats.

"If we understand how we can affect their emotional states through using musical sound and aspects of our speech, maybe those of us living with companion animals can have a better relationship with them, too," Snowdon said.

1.The research mentioned in the passage is mainly about ______.

A. the change of music over time         B. animals’ response to music

C. special music for animals               D. the origin of music

2.When the monkeys heard the music they liked, they ______.

A. looked anxious                       B. became restless

C. felt at ease                             D. made long calls

3.According to the passage, the monkeys are most interested in the music ______.

A. of Led Zeppelin                        B. of Miles Davis

C. of Metallica                            D. specially composed for them

4.The aim of the research, according to Professor Snowdon, is to ______.

A. build better ties between animals and humans

B. compare monkeys and cats in term of music

C. develop new music based on animals’ calls

D. find better ways to keep animals under control

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

【安徽省江南十校2017届高三3月联考】D

A new study, a project of the researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, finds the fitness tracker probably does not help with weight loss.

The devices are designed to record your physical activity. They are usually worn around the wrist, where they measure a person’s heart rate. The research team looked at two groups of individuals. The first wore a fitness tracker and took part in health counseling (咨询) with experts to consider the best weight-loss plan. The researchers compared this group with people who only got health counseling.

The study found that those only speaking with the health experts lost nearly 6 kilograms, but those using a fitness tracker lost only 3.5 kilograms. John Jakicic, the lead researcher, questioned the use of electronic devices for weight control in place of “effective behavioral counseling for physical activity and diet.”

The study involved 470 subjects aged between 18 and 35. Some of them were overweight, while others were considered obese (肥胖的）.Over three fourths of the subjects were women. All the subjects were told to increase physical activity and start on a low-calorie diet. They had their weight measured once every six months. After six months, researchers divided the group into two parts: one continued with monthly counseling, while members of the other group were given a fitness tracker. Eighteen months later, both groups “showed significant improvements in fitness, physical activity, and diet,” with no major difference between groups. However, when it came to losing weight, the people who only spoke with experts lost nearly twice as much weight.

Jakicic said, ”the study’s findings are important because effective long-term treatments are needed to address America’s obesity. ” More information is needed, he added， to learn how to best use these devices to change “physical activity and diet behaviors” in adults who want to lose weight.

1.All the subjects in the study were asked to_____________.

A. start on a high-calorie diet　　 B. wear a fitness tracker

C. increase physical activities　　 D. record their heart rates

2.Why does Jakicic think the findings are important?

A. Wearing fitness trackers hardly helps people lose weight.

B. Physical activity and diet have no effect on weight loss.

C. Handling obesity requires effective long-term treatments.

D. There are great differences in fitness between both groups.

3.What can we infer about the study mentioned in the text?

A. The study went on for about two years.

B. More than 120 men took part in the study.

C. Health counseling helps lose almost 6 kilograms.

D. Wearing a fitness tracker is useful for keeping slim.

4.The purpose of the text is to________

A. describe how the researchers were conducting the study

B. indicate regular counseling for weight control is necessary

C. convince readers to wear fitness trackers for weight control

D. warn women are more likely to suffer from weight problems

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Wealthy people may be likely to be against redistribution of wealth, according to new research. The findings indicate that it is because people use their own neighborhoods and communities as a standard of how much wealth other people have, leading wealthy people to believe the bigger population as being wealthier than it actually is.

“If you're rich, there's good chance for you to know lots of other rich people and relatively few poor people； likewise, if you're poor, you're likely to know fewer wealthy people and more poor ones," says study co-author Robbie Sutton. "Even if people think objectively and follow rules of statistical inference, richer and poorer people may be led by the information available to them, to very different conclusions about how wealthy other people are, on. average, and how wealth is distributed across society. ”

"These results suggest that the rich and poor do not simply have different attitudes to how wealth should be distributed across society； rather, they subjectively experience living in different societies," adds Rael Dawtry, the study's lead author. "In the relatively richer America crowded by wealthier Americans, there is perhaps less need to distribute wealth more equally. " The findings suggest that attitudes toward wealth distribution come from more than just an economic motivation to protect one's self-interest or financially protective political ideologies （意识形态）----the information provided by our living environment also plays an important role.

The research covered over 600 US adults to complete an online survey in two studies. The participants were asked to estimate the distribution of household income for their social contacts and also for the whole US population in two studies—they estimated what percentage of people fell into each one of 11 income groups； then they estimated the average income of people within each income group. Then, the participants were asked how fair they thought income distribution in the US was and how satisfied they were with it. The participants also answered questions testing their attitudes toward redistribution.

To ensure that the findings were actually related to the individual s social circles and not some other psychological bias, the researchers then analyzed data from over 4,000 voters in New Zealand. The data showed that the relationship between voters' income and their perceptions of economic fairness in New Zealand was driven by the level of economic condition in their neighborhood.

"These results show the importance of examining ecological processes, in addition to political ideological or self-interest, for understanding economic preferences, says Dawtry. "Attitudes to redistribution and the economic position appear to be subject to informational biases in the environment as well as biases in the mind. " According to Sutton, the findings may also help to explain the political polarization （两极分化）observed in countries like the United States.

"As richer and poorer people increasingly live separated live, the information available becomes increasingly misunderstood, and increasingly different, he notes. "People are, effectively, living in an informational bubble, surrounded by people with incomes like theirs but unlike many other Americans."

1.What's the reason for incorrect conclusions on others' wealth?

A.The objective thoughts.

B.The improper information.

C.Disobeying rules of statistics.

D.The balance of wealth distribution.

2.What causes the difference in people's attitudes to wealth distribution?

A.Subjective judgment to societies they live in.

B.The biases against political ideologies.

C.The change of the surrounding environment.

D.Dissatisfying protection of self-interest.

3.What's the benefit of the research according to Sutton?

A.Making us understand economic preferences.

B.Giving us an explanation of the political polarization.

C.Making us consider political ideologies or self-interest.

D.Influencing our attitudes to wealth redistribution.

4.What's the title of the passage?

A.Wealthy People Are More Likely To Support Wealth Redistribution

B.Wealthy People Are More Likely To Have Right Information On Wealth

C.Having Wealthy Neighbors Keeps Beliefs On Overall Wealth Distribution

D.Having Wealthy Neighbors Misleads Beliefs On Overall Wealth Distribution

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Empathy

Last year, researchers from the University of Michigan reported that empathy, the ability to understand other people, among college students had dropped sharply over the past 10 years. __71__ Today, people spend more time alone and are less likely to join groups and clubs.

Jennifer Freed, a co-director of a teen program, has another explanation. Turn on the TV, and you’re showered with news and reality shows full of people fighting, competing, and generally treating one another with no respect. __72__

There are good reasons not to follow those bad examples. Humans are socially related by nature. __73__ Researchers have also found that empathetic teenagers are more likely to have high self-respect. Besides, empathy can be a cure for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, and fear.

Empathy is also an indication of a good leader. In fact, Freed says, many top companies report that empathy is one of the most important things they look for in new managers. __74__ “Academics are important. But if you don’t have emotional intelligence, you won’t be as successful in work or in your love life,” she says.

What’s the best way to up your EQ (情商）? For starters, let down your guard and really listen to others. __75__

To really develop empathy, you’d better volunteer at a nursing home or a hospital, join a club or a team that has a diverse membership, have a “sharing circle” with your family, or spend time caring for pets at an animal shelter.

E. Empathy is a matter of learning how to understand someone else—both what they think and how they feel.

F. Good social skills—including empathy—are a kind of “emotional intelligence” that will help you succeed in many areas of life.

G. That could be because so many people have replaced face time with screen time, the researchers said.

高三英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

Empathy

Last year, researchers from the University of Michigan reported that empathy, the ability to understand other people, among college students had dropped sharply over the past 10 years. __71__ Today, people spend more time alone and are less likely to join groups and clubs.

Jennifer Freed, a co-director of a teen program, has another explanation. Turn on the TV, and you’re showered with news and reality shows full of people fighting, competing, and generally treating one another with no respect. __72__

There are good reasons not to follow those bad examples. Humans are socially related by nature. __73__ Researchers have also found that empathetic teenagers are more likely to have high self-respect. Besides, empathy can be a cure for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, and fear.

Empathy is also an indication of a good leader. In fact, Freed says, many top companies report that empathy is one of the most important things they look for in new managers. __74__ “Academics are important. But if you don’t have emotional intelligence, you won’t be as successful in work or in your love life,” she says.

What’s the best way to up your EQ (情商）? For starters, let down your guard and really listen to others. __75__

To really develop empathy, you’d better volunteer at a nursing home or a hospital, join a club or a team that has a diverse membership, have a “sharing circle” with your family, or spend time caring for pets at an animal shelter.

E. Empathy is a matter of learning how to understand someone else—both what they think and how they feel.

F. Good social skills—including empathy—are a kind of “emotional intelligence” that will help you succeed in many areas of life.

G. That could be because so many people have replaced face time with screen time, the researchers said.

高三英语信息匹配困难题查看答案及解析

According to a Pew Research Center report from November 2013, “71% of those 10-18 turn to the internet as a main news source.” Another Pew report found from 2012 says that on an average day, 29 percent of young people were “newsless” meaning they did not get any news, from traditional platforms, mobile phones, or even social networks.

Despite the fact that both my husband and I are in journalism, my husband as a design editor and myself as a writer, I have often wondered if our four sons would grow up to read printed pages with their own children someday.

I got my answer last week when my failure to renew us living in a newspaper desert for two weeks. Normally we get both The Virginian-Pilot (the paper for which my husband works) and The Christian Science Monitor Weekly print edition. Our four sons have grown up with a variety of print newspapers available daily. That has changed slightly since our youngest, Quin, 10, has also become an online news tracker.

However, it wasn’t until the newspapers stopped coming to our doorstep seven days a week that I learned how deeply attached they all are to the printed, paper, page. That’s when we decided to make a list of what we have come to rely on newspapers to do cheaply and immediately.

Here’s the list we made together of what our newspaper is used for beyond learning the news itself: as an umbrella when caught in rain; to stuff in wet shoes overnight to dry; to stuff in hats to keep their shape; to stuff under doors and in cracks to stop cold wind from coming in; to wallpaper for a doll house (my dad did that once)….

Despite the growing list of household uses, my sons’ love for reading the paper before it becomes cage liner has helped me to realize that there is still hope that our kids and future generations will continue to value the printed news as more than just a means to a crafting project end, but to getting a more touchable grasp on the issues they may face in life.

1.What is the Pew Research Center report probably about?

A. Children’s news source.

B. Quality of journalism.

C. Children’s after-class activities.

D. Parent-child relationships.

2.When did the author learn how deeply attached her children are to newspapers?

A. our four sons would grow up to read printed pages with their own children

B. our youngest, Quin, 10, has also become an online news addict

C. the newspapers stopped coming to our doorstep seven days a week

D. we decided to make a list of what we have come to rely on newspapers

3.Which is not on the list of using newspapers for household?

A. to wallpaper for a doll house.

B. to get news from social networks.

C. to act as an umbrella when caught in rain.

D. to stuff under doors and in cracks to stop cold wind coming in.

4.How should children and future generations continue to value the newspaper?

A. using it as a means to a crafting project end.

B. relying on it to do cheaply and immediately.

C. growing up with a variety of print newspapers available daily.

D. getting a more touchable grasp on the issues they may face in life.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析